TRENTON – In an effort to ensure that nonresident military spouses are not excluded from public employment, the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism, and Historic Preservation Committee advanced legislation sponsored by Senators Troy Singleton and Gordon Johnson that would provide them with an exemption to the “New Jersey First Act.”

“Military families are frequently forced to move, putting them at an economic disadvantage and jeopardizing their financial stability,” said Senator Singleton (D-Burlington). “Current residency requirements unnecessarily contribute to these problems by locking them out of public employment opportunities. By providing this exemption we will not only give them more economic flexibility, but also better support service members and their families.”

The “New Jersey First Act” currently requires most public employees to be residents of the state, with newly hired employees expected to reside in the state within one year. The bill, S-4039, would exempt nonresident military spouses from these requirements. The legislation would use the term “nonresident military spouse” to mean a nonresident of the state who is the spouse of an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who has been transferred to this state in the course of the member’s service and is legally domiciled in this state.

“Military spouses are, unfortunately, already disadvantaged by frequent change-of-station orders that make many private employers unwilling or uninterested in hiring them,” said Senator Johnson (D-Bergen), who is also a veteran of the United States Army. “Our state should not be among the employers making finding work more difficult for military spouses. This bill will fix this problem in our current law by providing an exemption, and in doing so make living here in New Jersey as the spouse of a service member more welcoming.”